This is where it all began. Three mothers of young children got to know each other while living on this cul-de-sac of duplexes. As their children played together, these moms discovered their shared faith as well as a somewhat humorous outlook on life. At least that's how I imagine it now. It was over 31 years ago, and I didn't live there. I just know that when I met them at that picnic birthday party, I discovered my shared faith with the three of them, and we laughed a lot that day because they are so fun and funny. I don't know when I first drove in to Bethel Valley Lane, but I know it was the start of something quite awesome. When I took a nostalgic drive through there recently, I noticed the playground is still there and is in good shape. I wondered about the kids who play there now, and I wondered about their moms. I wonder...............31 years from now, in 2043 will they be grandmas, and will they still be getting together at least once a month to celebrate enduring friendships? As for us Bethel Valley Girls, where will we be in 2043? Remember that shared faith? Well, thank God, we'll either be in heaven or will be pretty close to it. Together forever, that us!

Scanning a photo is an easy task. Scanning over 1,000 photos is a daunting task and one I took it on several weeks ago. It's not like I can work on it all day every day. Today I hit the 800 mark and realize that at some point I need to categorize these pictures. So far they all fit nicely in to the NOSTALGIA category. I've had some good laughs, and yes, I've shed some tears along the way. Working on this time-consuming project has given me even more appreciation for the Bethel Valley Girls and the 31 years of our friendship. One picture in particular reminded me of why I think of them as more like family than just friends. It was October 1983, and the occasion was my son's fourth birthday party. This was the only time we went to McDonald's for one of my children's birthday parties, and it was because my new baby was just two weeks old and doing it there was the easy route. Their staff took care of everything, including the birthday cake. The picture I have from that day is of my son preparing to blow out the four candles on his cake, and his friends were gathered around to wish him well. And there they were, Elletu's son and daughter (her older daughter was in school), j's daughter (her older daughter was in school) and Cool's two sons. My daughter was also in school. Not in the picture were the moms, Elletu, j, Cool and Firstelle---the Bethel Valley Girls, who had first met as a group two years before. That was at another birthday party, for Cool's older son. I found another picture from my daughter's fourth birthday party, held at our infamous Piggy Park, and right next to her in the photo is Cool's son whose birthday party had started it all. I'm still looking for photos from my daughter's fifth birthday party. She shared it with j's daughter because they have the same birthday. Coincidentally, j's husband shares a birthday with my son. And I'm glad I've shared so much of my life with my friends/family, the Bethel Valley Girls. Thus, when I set up those categories for my scanned photos, the first one is going to be 'Bethel Valley Girls.' Thirty-one years and counting!

It's not often that I am left speechless. It happened to me two nights ago, so much so that I wasn't even ready to write about it yesterday. I just walked by my kitchen table and was reminded the Bethel Valley Girls have a knack for knocking the wind out of me, and I mean that in the best of ways. A few weeks ago j said, "We need to have a planning meeting," and I agreed because summer is upon us and we haven't come up with a way to top Spa Day or Pink Day. Elletu texted me later and told me the day we would be meeting at a restaurant for a 5:15 dinner. I told them all, "I'll get there early and get us a good table," so I was surprised to see their cars in the parking lot when I arrived ahead of the appointed time. I came bearing gifts to celebrate our 31st anniversary of friendship, including earrings Elletu and I had made out of wine bottle corks. As I breezed in to give them all a bad time for beating me there, it took a few moments for it all to sink in. They already had a table for the four of us, and next to it was another table packed with "It's a Boy!" bags, stuffed animals and balloons. What was this? And wait a minute, those aren't actual balloons, those are blown up...oh my! Surprise! They were throwing me a surprise 'Grandma Shower'! With my first two grandchildren just months away from being born, these dear friends were welcoming me to the world of grandmotherhood in true BVG fashion. I was blown away, never saw that coming in a million years, and even now I wonder, "How did these wonderful friends of mine surprise me like this?" But it was not the first time they caught me off guard. It was 29 years ago this summer--maybe even this month--that Elletu invited me over to her duplex on Bethel Valley Lane. I was pregnant with my third child, and I was so sick it was pitiful. It was during this unplanned pregnancy that I developed asthma, and my medicine made me vomit six times a day and I still couldn't breathe. My husband was away on travel 12 weeks of that pregnancy, my mom had just died, and I didn't have any family around to help me. I suspect I was less than thrilled to be pregnant and must have expressed that a time or two. When I arrived with my five-year-old daughter and three-year-old son in tow, there was j with her two daughters and Cool with her two sons. These three friends of Bethel Valley Lane (and Bethel Valley fame) had plannd what they called an 'Attitude Adjustment Shower' for me, and the laughter first began when I saw the centerpiece on the table. A stuffed rabbit was upside down, with a few daffodils between its paws. 'The rabbit died' is an expression from our mothers' generation, and it was actually a 'medical term' meaning "You're pregnant." Any reader of this blog knows what I mean. Anyway, above the dead stuffed rabbit, hanging from Elletu's dining room chandelier, were a few balloon look-alikes. I'll be honest, they were condoms. That's right, condoms. Tucked inside were pamphlets explaining different forms of birth control, the message being obvious. ("Condoms can break, okay?") So fast-forward to June 6, 2012, and picture the BVG's trying hard to blow up condoms to join another real balloon to form a ballon/condom bouquet. It wasn't easy, but Elletu apparently has experience with this? That balloon/condom bouquet is still together on my kitchen table. I'm going to take pictures of the presents in front of the balloon/condom bouqut to send to my pregnant daughter and pregnant daughter-in-law, since the gifts go to their babies. I just hope I don't make them blush! Well, the BVG's made me speechless, and I might have blushed too. I'm overwhelmed. They helped me ease in to the life of a mother of three, and now they're helping me ease in to the life of being Grandma. I can only hope and pray my pregnant daughter and pregnant daughter-in-law will have a group of friends like the BVG's with whom to share the wonderful world of motherhood. And if they're exceptionally fortunate, as I am, they'll have that same group of friends with which to share the wonderful world of grandmotherhood. I'm almost there. Thank you, BVG's.......I love us!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, BETHEL VALLEY GIRLS!
     It was June 2, 1981 when I first met the Bethel Valley Girls. Of course they weren't the Bethel Valley Girls back then, and I already knew one of them. We call her Cool now--that's her BVG name. When she invited me and my two young children to her son's third birthday party, I had no idea how momentous that day would be. She also invited two young moms from her neighborhood on Bethel Valley Lane. We went to a park on a lake as planned, but it was all locked up so we took the party to another park. And there we were, four moms, nine little kids, one fun afternoon and, unbeknownst to us, a new Sisterhood begun. I think God looked at us and said, "This is good," and the Bethel Valley Girls were born. Two years later I had another son, and so today we are four old moms (and grandmas) with ten grown children. This coming Wednesday we will gather to celebrate our 31 years of friendship. I realize they knew each other before they knew me, but since I write this blog, I can say they were nothing before they met me! Seriously, thank you, BVG's, for accepting me in to your circle of friendship even though I did not live on your circle which was Bethel Valley Lane.
CHEERS TO US------WE LOVE US!